


A Story of Death

by ShyCourage



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-17 18:42:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21059147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShyCourage/pseuds/ShyCourage
Summary: Hear me out here: Feral Claude.That's it





	A Story of Death

**Author's Note:**

> THERE IS A MENTION OF SUICIDE 
> 
> okay, okay, that's all I'm saying, pls stay safe

This is a story that starts in, and ends in, death. This is a story that deals strongly in the deaths of some of the most influential people who had ever lived in Fódlan.

You, dear reader, have been warned.

\----------

Maybe, if things had been different, he wouldn't have had to do this. Maybe he could've talked his way out of any situation, could've been diplomatic. Maybe he could've avoided the killing. But there's no use for maybes, for what ifs. Not anymore.

Now, Claude was the feared King of Almyra. Rumored to be insane, no one of his subjects thought it a good idea to question his authority any longer. No one called him a half-blood, no one dared to piss him off. Not now, not ever again.

He had killed men in his own reception room, and it had gained him favor. A strong king, a ruthless king, during wartime was something that was respected. People fear him, and that fear breeds respect. 

On the battlefield, Claude showed the people of Fódlan that the bow was a weapon not used by the weak, or by those who were scared of getting too close. He showed them that wyverns were truly wicked beasts. He showed them that he was to be feared.

"The King," it was whispered, among the soldiers, in a tone that could only be referring to one man, "the King fights on the front lines. The King, he fights."

Claude was a man to be feared. He and his wyvern could take down entire armies on their own, his wyvern trained to protect, to kill. Claude himself did his best to protect his wyvern, to keep his only real ally safe and alive. 

\----------

He leapt off his wyvern, grabbing his dagger. He didn't like using it as much as he did his bow, but he would. His dagger was just as dangerous as dear Lady Edelgard's axe, or Lord Dimitri's lance, which was a good thing, considering that those two were the ones he was meeting.

He walked to where they were fighting, smirking as they realized who it was and dropped their weapons to their sides. He knew he was a sight, and not a good one at that. His eye had been torn out of its socket by someone who thought to fight back, his hair was long and unkempt, his eye that was left was glittering with a sadistic light. He wasn't the Claude they knew. He was someone else entirely.

Dimitri wasn't who Claude remembered, and neither was Edelgard. They had all changed, it seemed, and the only one who wore it prettily was Edelgard. Damn shame, that. Dimitri had so much potential to be- ah, but no time for reminiscing about what could have been. It wasn't, obviously, no need to wish for what wouldn't be.

Edelgard completely ignored Dimitri- a dangerous thing to do, Claude absently noted- and raised a hand to Claude, looking like she wanted to touch him, make sure he was who she thought, but was holding herself back. "C- Claude? Claude von Riegan?"

He nodded, the smirk never quite dropping from his face. This would be amusing.

Dimitri was, lucky for Edelgard, ignoring her just as much as she was ignoring him. "Claude," he breathed, "what happened to you?"

Claude shook his head. "You ask as though you haven't changed just as much. The name Beast traveled even to Almyra, you know. As for you," Claude turned to Edelgard, "Emperor. Don't look so hurt."

Edelgard almost flinched, but she raised her axe instead. Claude's wyvern growled from behind him, lowering itself to the ground and looking up at the Flame Emperor, teeth bared. She really did flinch, that time. Claude's smirk only widened.

"I'd be careful, if I were you. I know the rumors, and I'm proud to say that they aren't baseless. This wyvern will end your life with no trouble should you take one wrong step, if I let it. Of course," here he paused for dramatic effect- he was still Claude, after all, "I might choose to kill you myself."

Dimitri grit his teeth, spoke through them. "Claude, why?"

Claude took a second, remembering a promise he made to Dimitri before he left for the country of his birth. He had left because war was threatening to spill from Fódlan into Almyra, the Alliance bitter and scared and full of nervous energy, and Claude thought it could be time to unite them. He had, the day of his leaving, pulled Dimitri aside and asked him to wait for him, asked Dimitri to let Claude be his when he returned. This was before… Before everything. Claude shrugged one shoulder. What had passed was in the past.

"Because," Claude laughed, a grating sound that was probably more than a little unhinged, "why not?"

Edelgard was shaking, scared of the man who was once the most welcoming of the three house leaders. "What happened to you?"

He tilted his head, scratching his still growling wyvern's head. "Well, a lot, really. But also? Not that much. I'm still me, you know. Still the person who made everyone wary. I'm just more willing to use force to get what I want, now."

Dimitri had chosen, at that moment, that he had enough. He looked like he was almost crying, the one person who he was sure loved him seemingly against him. He readied his lance and charged, yelling and prepared to run him through.

Claude sighed. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this," he whispered. "Biscuit. Go."

The wyvern, known by the friendly nickname of Biscuit, lunged and grabbed Dimitri with its teeth. Edelgard screamed, Dimitri gasped, Biscuit growled. Claude gave a disapproving look.

"Really, you should have known better. Here I was, ready to offer the proposition of marriage… Well, too late for that now. You won't survive those wounds. Biscuit? Put him down."

The wyvern dropped him unceremoniously, trotting back to it's master. He cooed at the monster, for that's what it was, and kissed it's bloody snout. 

Now Edelgard really was crying. She had been so ready to kill, but seeing this must've shocked the poor girl too much. "Claude, why? W- what good does this do you? Why do you want-" she cut off, sobbing. 

He just smiled, petting his pet's face. "If I can rule all of Fódlan and all of Almyra, then they have no choice but to accept each other. It's simple, really."

She walked up to him, grabbing the hand in which he held his knife, leading it to her breast. "I can't live in a world you rule like this. I can't live in a world with you like this. You'll take my land anyway, you killed- your wyvern could kill me with ease. It's been proven."

Claude kept smiling, amused. "Giving in so easily? That's not Edelgard. What are you planning?"

She looked as though he had struck her, letting her own spare knife fall into her hand and trying to stab him in the stomach. He grabbed her hand, driving his own knife into her heart. 

She was dead before she even hit the ground.

\----------

Being king of so much was a lonely job, it's said. Being feared like he was made it all the lonelier. Didn't help that he was insane, they say.

His only friend and ally, Biscuit, died in a battle soon after Claude earned the title of conquerer. Claude died soon after, perhaps by his own hand.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, kudos, comments, and constructive criticism are welcome and appreciated


End file.
